‘How often does a small deed become big due to one’s intention, and how often does a big deed become small due one’s intention!’
~
‘When one of you learns enough of the Qur’an in order to pray, then let him occupy himself in seeking knowledge for that is the tool through which the meaning of the Qur’an is known.’
~
‘If you people wish to backbite, then backbite your own parents so that your reward does not go out to a stranger, but rather to them!’
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‘How many people carry the Qur’an in their hearts but the Qur’an curses them from inside their hearts! If the bearer of Qur’an disobeys his Lord, the Qur’an calls him from inside his chest saying, ‘By Allah, you have not carried me (i.e. memorised me) for this! Will you not be shy from your Lord?’
~
‘Repentance from backbiting is to seek Allah’s forgiveness for the one you have backbitten.’ Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah then said, ‘Rather you should seek his forgiveness for what you’ve said.’ Ibn al-Mubarak replied, ‘No, you should not harm him twice.’
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‘Those of you who have the most knowledge, should also be those who have the most fear (of Allah).’
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‘The inhabitants of this world have left the world without tasting the best thing in it.’ He was asked, ‘And what’s the best of this world?’ He said, ‘Knowing Allah `azza wa jall.’
‘When a person realises the scope of his own self and capabilities, he becomes more lowly to himself than a dog.’
~
He was asked, ‘What’s the best that a man has been given?’ He said, ‘Abundant
intelligence.’ He was asked, ‘And if not?’ He said, ‘Then good character.’ It was said, ‘And if not?’ He said, ‘A close friend who he can seek advice from.’ It was said, ‘And if not?’ He
said, ‘Long periods of silence.’ It was said, ‘And if not?’ He said, ‘Then a quick death!’
~
‘If a person bears patience, then indeed how little is the patience he needs to bear. And if a person is regretful and anxious, then how little is the enjoyment he indulges in.’
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‘There are four principles that I have derived from four thousand narrations: Do not attach yourself to a woman, do not be disillusioned by wealth, do not let your stomach carry more than it can bear and only learn from knowledge that which will benefit you.’
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‘Nothing has proven too difficult for me much as finding a brother/companion for the Sake of Allah.’
~
A Jewish neighbour of Ibn al-Mubarak decided to sell his house. He was asked ‘How much?’ He said, ‘Two thousand.’ They said to him, ‘It’s not worth one thousand!’ He said, ‘You’re right. But I am taking one thousand for the house and one thousand for being the neighbour of Ibn al-Mubarak.’ This was reported back to Ibn al-Mubarak who began supplicating for the man and he gave the money to him saying, ‘Do not sell your house.’
~
Ibn al-Mubarak once went near a stream, he propped up his spear and tied his horse to it. Then he began to make wudhu (ablution) and pray. When he finished, he saw that his horse had began eating the crop. He said, ‘He has eaten of the impermissible, therefore it is not befitting to use him in battles!’ – He then left the horse for the farmer and bought a new horse for the rest of his journey.
~
‘Prepare for death and what’s to come after death.’
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‘Mercy descends when the righteous are mentioned and remembered.’
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‘The Sultan of zuhd is greater than the Sultan of the people, because the Sultan of the people gathers them (and rules them) by the cane whereas the Sultan of zuhd flees from the people and they instead follow him.’
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‘There is nothing in this world for a person except one’s daily portion of food.’
~
44
‘If a person’s goodness outweighs his errors, then his errors are not mentioned, and if his
errors outweigh his goodness, then his goodness is not mentioned.’
~
A man once said to Ibn al-Mubarak: ‘Is there anyone who will advice us?’ He replied,
‘Rather, is there anyone who will accept the advice?’
~
‘This world is a prison for the believer and the best of deeds in prison is to have patience and to overcome one’s anger. The believer has no country in this world, indeed his country lies in the Hereafter.’
~
A man said to him, ‘Advice me.’ So he said, ‘Abandon looking at things for long periods of
time and you shall be granted Khushu’ (humbleness), abandon excessive speech and you shall be granted wisdom, abandon excessive food and you shall be guided to ‘Ibadah (worship), abandon looking towards the faults of others and you shall be guided to seeing your own faults and abandon delving into the issues that concern the Being of Allah `azza wa jall, and you shall be guided away from doubts and hypocrisy.’
~
Another man once said to him, ‘I see myself as being in a better state than someone who killed a person wrongfully.’ He said to him, ‘Indeed the security you feel for yourself (and have given yourself) is worse than a person who killed another wrongfully!’
~
‘Indeed the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets, but if they fall into covetousness and greed, who shall be taken as leaders? The merchants and businessmen are the trustees of Allah, so if they are treacherous, who can be trusted? The warriors are the guests of Allah so if they become extreme (or take spoils without right), with whom can we defeat the enemies? The righteous and ascetic ones are the kings of the earth but if they become insincere (i.e. have riya’), who shall be followed? The governors/rulers are the shepherds (protectors) of the people, but if the shepherd becomes a wolf, who shall protect the flock?’

From the book:The Life of ‘Abdullah Ibn al-MubarakThe scholar of the East and the scholar of the West
Compiled by Farhia YahyaDownload Book

Dubbed the “voice of a generation,” Boonaa Mohammed is a critically acclaimed award winning writer and performer with accolades including a playwright residency at Theatre Passe Muraille, a short story published in a Penguin Canada anthology called “Piece by Piece” and various slam poetry titles credits including winner of the 2007 CBC Poetry Face-Off “Best New Artist” award.

His popular Youtube videos have received over One Million views to date, and as an Artist he has toured and traveled across the world, speaking alongside some of the most influential scholars and entertainers of our time. He frequently conducts writing workshops and seminars, sharing his experience and expertise in Spoken Word story-telling with mainly youth from all walks of life.

Glory be to Allah who taught man how to read and revealed to him what was previously unknown. And may peace be upon Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, who was selected by Allah to invite and educate all people of the way to Allah, Who says:

“To you has come light and a clear Book from God. Through which God will lead those who follow His pleasure to the path of peace, and guide them out of darkness into light by His will, and to the path that is straight”.
(The Holy Quran, Chapter 5. “The Table Spread”, verses 15-16)

It is painful to a Muslim to see his fellow Muslims going from bad to worse, getting weaker and more ignorant every day, not realizing that the real reason behind that deterioration is their ignorance of the system of Islamic jurisprudence and their negligence in applying it, not-withstanding its perfection and excellence.

They are not aware that their tenacious adherence to defective secular laws has spoiled their lives and brought upon them their present weakness and humility.

I do believe that we deserted the Islamic Jurisprudence owing to our ignorance of its implications and the failure of our canons of religion to, or their incapability of, educating us in it. Had every Muslim known his obligations towards the religion, he would not have failed to fulfill them. In fact, every Muslim would have rushed forward to serve its cause and apply its principles.

I think that the best service a Muslim can render to his brethren is to educate them in Islamic jurisprudence and to reveal to them those precepts which they do not know.

I am writing this concise essay in which I have gathered those necessary principles of Islamic law, every educated Muslim should know, showing the correct views about the issues which have been demeaned by certain ignorant people, who advanced unfounded illogical allegations about them. I hope that this booklet would help to rectify some of our Islamic precepts which are misunderstood by those who received secular education. I hope as well that it would persuade our Islamic scholars to change their systems and adopt a new method for serving the cause of Islam. After all, they are thea successors of the
Prophets and the followers of The Messenger of Allah.

Insha’Allaah, Khalid Arabic Academy, now registered under Malak Welfare Trust, will be starting a new batch for brothers and sisters both. These classes will be conducted Online via skype for the convenience of those who could not make it to our earlier classes and those who want to learn from the comforts of their houses.

ISHA Reading Room and Information Center is a FAKE ORGANISATION who CHEAT innocent students. They send letters to Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab etc. and ask the recipients to send a DD / Money Order / Cheque of Rs.250 for registration. They claim that they will help the students gain scholarship from the Prime Minister’ Scholarship scheme.

Indian Express and CNN IBN Live have written an article on them to warn people against such FAKE organisation.

Abu Dhar Al-GhifaariyThe leader of Opposition and an enemy of wealth

Abdullah lbn Mas’uud (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated the interpretation of the statement “You will walk alone, die alone, and resurrect alone,” to his companions:

Ibn Mas’uud said

“That was in the ninth year after Hijrah, during the Battle of Tabuuk, when the Prophet, (PBUH) had ordered full preparation to meet the Romans, who had begun to carry out their conspiracies and cunning tricks against Islam.

The days in which people were asked to go out for jihad were very hot, distressful, and hard. The destination was far away and the enemy terrifying.

A group of Muslims refrained from going forth, justifying their position with different apologies. The Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions went forth. The farther they went, the more exhausted and tired they became. Whenever a man stayed behind people said, “O Prophet! So-and-so stayed behind.” He then said, “Let him! If he’s any good, he will reach you. If he’s something else, then Allah will save you his trouble.”

One day the people turned around. They could not find Abu Dhar. They told the Prophet (PBUH) that Abu Dhar had stayed behind and his camel had slowed down. It is here that the Prophet (PBUH) repeated his first statement. Abu Dhar’s camel became weaker under the severe pressure of hunger, thirst, and hot weather. It stumbled due to weakness and fatigue. Abu Dhar tried by all means to force it to move forward, but the burden of the camel’s exhaustion was too heavy.

Finally, Abu Dhar felt that he would be left behind, losing the caravan’s traces. Therefore, he dismounted from his camel, took his belongings, carried them on his back, and continued his route on foot over the burning desert sand, hurrying in order to rejoin the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions.

In the early morning, while the Muslims were stopped for a while to rest, one of them saw a cloud of dust and sand behind which the shadow of a man could be seen. The one who saw that said to the Prophet (PBUH), “O Messenger of Allah, there is someone walking alone.”

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “It is Abu Dhar.”

The Muslims continued their talk until the man crossed the remaining distance between them. Only then were they able to know who he was.

The respectful traveler approached little by little. Although he could only with great effort pull his feet out of the burning sand and with a lot of pain carry the heavy burden on his back, he was very delighted to have finally reached the blessed caravan without staying behind and abandoning the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions.

When he at last reached the caravan, someone shouted, “O Prophet, it’s Abu Dhar.” Abu Dhar beaded towards the Prophet (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) had hardly seen him, when he tenderly, kindly, and sadly smiled and said, “Allah will have mercy upon Abu Dhar. He walks alone, dies alone, and resurrects alone.”

Twenty years or more had passed since then. Abu Dhar died alone in the desert of Ar-Rabadhah, having walked on a path no one else had passed over so gloriously .

Abu Dhar Al-Ghifaariy’s Death

This slim dark-skinned woman sitting crying beside him is his wife. He is asking her, “Why do you cry and death is true?” She answers crying, “You are dying and I don’t have a gown which suffices to be a winding sheet!!” He smiles like a passing evening glow and says to her “Calm down. Don’t cry. I heard the Prophet (PBUH) once saying while I was sitting among a number of Companions “one of you will die in a desert land, and a group of the faithful will witness him.” All those who were sitting with me at that assembly have died, whether in a village or among a congregation. No one is left except me, and now I am dying in a desert land. Watch out, a group of the faithful will soon show up. By Allah, I didn’t lie in my life.” He passed away. Blessed was he.

There is a caravan which sets off on a journey across the desert. It consists of a group of the faithful with `Abd Allah Ibn Mas’uud, the Prophet’s Companion, at their head. lbn Mas’uud visualized the scene before he reached it: a scene of an out-stretched body like that of a dead person and beside him a crying woman and boy.

He redirects his camel’s bridle and the whole caravan follows him towards the scene. He has hardly taken a look at the dead body, when he realizes that it is his companion brother in Islam, Abu Dhar.

Ibn Mas’uud’s tears roll down abundantly while he stands in front of this virtuous body saying, “The Messenger of Allah was truthful – You will walk alone, die alone, and resurrect alone.”

Abu Dhar Ghifaariy is also remembered alone by history for his brave resistance and his great asceticism. Allah will also resurrect him alone, because the multitude of his various merits will not enable anyone else to find a place near him.

Al-Qurtubi has reported from Sayyidna Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA) that a man came to the Holy Prophet and complained that his father was taking away what belonged to him. He said,

“Go and ask your father to come here.”

Right then, came Sayyidna Jibrail and told the Holy Prophet SAWS,

“When his father comes, ask him about the words he has composed in his heart and which his own ears have not heard yet.”

When this man returned with his father, he (SAWS) said to the father,

“Why is it that your son complains against you? Do you wish to take away what belongs to him?”

The father said,

“You better ask him on whom do I spend other than his paternal or maternal aunts or myself”

The Holy Prophet SAWS said: (an expression which denoted that he had understood the reality and there was no need to say anything else). After that, he asked the father of the man,

“What are those words that have not yet been heard by your own ears?”

The father said, “O Rasulallah, Allah Taala increases our faith in you through everything.” Thereby he meant that he (SAWS) got to know what was not heard by anyone, which was a miracle indeed. Then, he submitted,

“It is true that I had composed some lines of poetry within my heart, something not heard even by my own ears.”

The Holy Prophet SAWS said, “Let us hear them.” Then he recited the following lines of poetry he had composed:

I fed you in childhood and took care of you when young. You lived on my earnings alone.

When on some night, you became sick, I spent the whole night remaining awake and restless because of your sickness

As if your sickness was my own and not yours and because of which my eyes kept shedding tears throughout the night

My heart kept trembling lest something happens to you, though I knew that the time of death is fixed, being neither early nor late

So, when you reached the age and maturity that I had always been looking forward to

Then you made hard-heartedness and harshness my return as if you were the one doing me favors and giving me rewards

Alas, if it was not possible for you to fulfill my right as a father, you could have at the least done what a good neighbor would have done

So, you could have given me the least right of a neighbor and abstained from becoming miserly in my case in my own property.

After having heard these verses of poetry, the Holy Prophet SAWS held the son by his shirt and said: Go, You and your property, everything belongs to your father.
(Tafsir al-Qurtubi, p. 246, V. 10)

These verses have also been reported in Hamasah, the famous book of Arabic literature as attributed to the poet, Umaiyyah ibn Abi as-Sult. Others say that Abd al-Ala wrote them. Still others attribute them to Abu al-‘Abbas al-Ama. (Al-Qurtubi, marginal notes)